Post AX7Y1cFN6gF1KDAn68 by timbray@cosocial.ca
 (DIR) More posts by timbray@cosocial.ca
 (DIR) Post #AX7Y0G8NpsjwSDG1Xk by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
       2023-06-27T15:11:11Z
       
       1 likes, 1 repeats
       
       ***** Yes, #Google could destroy the best of the Internet *****In an apparently leaked recording of an internal meeting now making the rounds, their CEO is saying "users don't want blue links", they just want answers.See:https://gizmodo.com/reddit-blackout-made-google-worse-1850580546#:~:text=Google%20CEO%20Sundar%20Pichai%20claimed,push%20more%20of%20that%20content.But where does Google get the data to formulate those Generative AI answers?MAINLY FROM WEBSITES! Websites that have freely permitted Google to scan their sites in exchange for the links and views and visitors who click those links. That's the bargain.Google is now pushing to end that bargain. They want to take the data from sites and effectively give nothing in return -- unless perhaps you pay for ads, assuming you have a site that's actually selling something.But even purely informational sites could be bled dry by Google's new approach. Why should anyone bother to visit the sites if Google just grabbed the data and bundled it up into an answer? It doesn't even matter if Google provides source links -- hardly anyone will bother toclick them.Google could very easily kill the goose that laid the golden eggs, the best of the Internet itself.You can't imagine how much it disturbs me and how sad it makes me to write this. -L
       
 (DIR) Post #AX7Y1cFN6gF1KDAn68 by timbray@cosocial.ca
       2023-06-27T15:17:44Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @lauren True, but not news? My tenure at Google ended at 2014 and already by then the "thought leaders" were using "ten blue links" as a cheap-shot term of derision. Google hasn't really been about responding to queries with material from Other People's Sites for a really long time.But anyhow, you're right and it's sad.
       
 (DIR) Post #AX7Y1oOfvuoV0XcOGW by tsrams@c.im
       2023-06-27T15:18:00Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @lauren   As I user, I've never wanted the Google summary of an answer rather than a link to authoritative sites (with the exception of very simple queries such as, "What day of the week is Halloween this year?")
       
 (DIR) Post #AX7YXU550G75GVYTOS by ML2@akkoma.sandhill.social
       2023-06-27T15:32:04.894906Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @lauren I read Google's comments in context as them arguing for including more social media posts in search results. On the other hand, the same reasoning could also be used to justify replacing search results with AI generated responses, which is of course hugely concerning.